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Overview

Cinderella goes to the con in this fandom-fueled twist on the classic fairy tale romance—now in paperback, with a special Starfield bonus scene!

Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom. Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball, and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad’s old costume), Elle’s determined to win…unless her stepsisters get there first.

Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons—before he was famous. Now they’re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but the Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake—until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise.

About the Author

Ashley Poston is the author of Geekerella (Quirk Books, 2017) and Heart of Iron (HarperCollins, 2018). Her fangirl heart has taken her everywhere from the houses of Hollywood screenwriters to the stages of music festivals to geeked-out conventions (in cosplay, of course). When she is not inventing new recipes with peanut butter, having passionate dance-offs with her cat, or geeking out all over the internet, she writes books. She lives in small-town South Carolina, where you can see the stars impossibly well.

Editorial Reviews

Spring 2017 Kids Indie Next List Pick2017 Goodreads Choice Award finalist for Best Young Adult FictionNamed to Seventeen's 2017 "12 Life-Changing Books You Have to Read This Summer" List

“Geekerella has ‘must-read’ written all over it. A fun romantic comedy with coming-of-age sensibilities and authentically voiced teens, this novel hits all the YA book-love buttons. Geekerella is simply delightful.”—USA Today's Happy Ever After

“Fairytale and fandom collide in this sweet, heartfelt, entertaining rom-com.”—Bustle

“A legit love letter to geekdom.”—Paste Magazine

“Pay attention, fangirls, because Ashley Poston’s Geekerella is about to be your favorite YA romance.”—Sweety High

“The geekiest spin on Cinderella you'll ever read.”—Hypable

“Geeks and non-geeks will discover their inner fangirl when they fall for this fan-tastic book that celebrates fan-doms, fan-tasy, and 'shipworthy romance’.”—Justine

“This geeky twist on a classic Cinderella story is honestly the most adorable thing ever!”—Her Campus

“With geekily adorable characters, a show that’s part Star Trek and part Firefly, a cosplay contest, and a food truck fairy godmother, this is a love letter to fandom. Required reading for geeks everywhere.”—Booklist

“A celebration of fandom and happily ever afters, this feel-good reimagining hits all the right notes.”—Publishers Weekly

“Geekerellais funny and real, adorable yet heart-wrenching, and a wonderful new YA reimagining of a classic story. It’s everything you could want in a book, and it deserves attention from all fans of contemporary YA.”—Ava M.,B&N Teen Blog

“Geekerella…couldn't be sweeter or more fun…. If you're a fan of Fangirl, or a fan yourself, this is the version of Cinderella for you.”—New York Journal of Books

“Geekerella hits the spot. It’s an uplifting, adorable take on a classic fairy tale with a lovable heroine and a story that would have delighted 12-year-old me, but actually did manage to elate jaded, cynical adult me. Ashley Poston gets my stamp of approval on this Cinderella story.”—Geeks of Doom

“Heirloom cosplay, fairy godfriends, and a new fandom with the swooniest OTP. Equal parts Fangirl and This Is What Happy Looks Like, Geekerella is so. Frakking. Good.” —Lily Anderson, author of The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You “I've never had this much fun reading a fairytale retelling! Geekerella is hilarious, packed with emotional punches, and steeped in so much love for fandom and con culture. We've all known the Cinderella story since preschool, but Ashley Poston's version feels so fresh and real that I genuinely worried Elle might not make it to the ball.”—Alison Cherry, author of Look Both Ways and For Real “Fun, funny, and fan-tastic! I rooted for Elle and Darien from page one.” —Sarah Ahiers, author of Assassin’s Heart and Thief’s Cunning

“Adorkable, geektastic, nerderiffic… however you describe it, Geekerella is scrumptious! Ashley Poston’s fandom is one you’ll definitely want to join.” —Tiffany Schmidt, author of Break Me Like A Promise and Bright Before Sunrise “An utterly charming take on Cinderella that sparkles with witty banter, Geekerella is the perfect YA fandom fairytale.” —Dahlia Adler, author of Behind the Scenes and Just Visiting

02/20/2017In this thoroughly enjoyable, pop- culture-saturated Cinderella retelling, 17-year-old Elle Wittimer, unhappy with her social climbing stepfamily, pins her hopes on winning a cosplay contest at a science fiction convention. Raised by her late father on the cult TV show Starfield, Elle anonymously blogs about the show and has expressed her lack of faith in Darien Freeman, the Hollywood heartthrob who’s been cast as Prince Carmindor in an upcoming film adaptation. As the cosplay contest approaches, Elle teams up with Sage, her friend/coworker at a vegan food truck, to redesign her father’s Carmindor costume, while texting with a mystery boy. Actor Darien grew up loving SF conventions and Starfield but has avoided them since his uncomfortable ascension to the “it list.” Poston (We Own the Night) builds an endearingly nervous text-based romance between Elle and Darien, and she gives her secondary characters dimension and agency: Sage is a lesbian fashion maven who gets her own happy ending, and Elle’s stepfamily, though still mostly terrible, is complex. A celebration of fandom and happily ever afters, this feel-good reimagining hits all the right notes. Ages 14–up. Agent: Holly Root, Waxman Leavell Literary. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

03/01/2017Gr 7 Up—Elle Wittimer loves Starfield, the popular sci-fi series that has garnered a cultlike fandom across the United States. When the latest teen sensation, Darien Freeman, is cast in the significant role of Prince Carmindor, Elle vents her displeasure on her fan blog and receives unprecedented readership. While working on the promotions for the show, Darien begins to feel the wrath of Starfield's loyal fans and attempts to get out of an upcoming ExcelsiCon cosplay event by contacting the convention's organizer. Elle's deceased father is the convention's founder, and Darien's text message is forwarded to her cell phone. The two develop an anonymous relationship via text messaging, which starts to attract the suspicion of Elle's evil stepsisters and Darien's production team. When Elle decides to enter the cosplay contest, she must hatch a plan with her new friend, Sage, to avoid the interference of her nagging stepmother and acts of sabotage from her stepsisters. Predictably, Elle's and Darien's paths cross at the ExcelsiCon ball, which ends with the expected lost slipper. The plot in this fairy-tale retelling won't be a mystery, but there are a few twists and turns that add a unique spin to the classic story. Unfortunately, the alternating voices of Darien and Elle are almost indistinguishable. VERDICT This secondary purchase is best suited for collections that serve teens who revel in the fandom and cosplay communities.—Lynn Rashid, Marriotts Ridge High School, Marriottsville, MD

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

Sweet, funny and unmistakably loaded with pop culture, fandom references – this is the book for all those people who ever had a ‘moment’ on the release of a new book, movie or interview, or has spent hours creating a costume that is just right for those hours wandering a con. Elle has been a superfan of Starfield, a sci-fi show that she used to watch with her now deceased father. Taking the page and plotting arc straight from the Cinderella story, there has to be both a prince and a ball coming – and sure enough, Poston doesn’t disappoint. Elle is building her costume for the big party (read ExcelsiCon Cosplay ball) where she could meet the ‘teen heartthrob’ star now slated to play a lead character in the reboot. She’s determined to win - there is no other option in her world at the moment.
Darien used to be just like Elle: geeking out on cosplay, following actors and authors and the Starfield show and dreaming of playing the lead character, Prince Carmindor. But, his life went in other directions and he’s now a famed teen heartthrob, and cast in the role – a role that thrills him and frustrates him because fans don’t think he’s got the ‘geek cred’ to play it.
Truly a love letter to fandom of all types – there isn’t a person who’s experienced that tingle of excitement that won’t find some sort of connection to any number of the fans here. Even with the relationship between Elle and Darien – their bonding is more over their shared likes and excitement in their fandom than just a simple boy meets girl attraction – and their relationship is almost exactly what one would expect: a bit awkward in the more personal conversations, somewhat stilted ‘romance’ moments and a wonderful interest and comfort with their own particular knowledge of what they like (or don’t).
The story isn’t all hearts and roses though: adults and secondary non-fan characters border the stereotypical and are often too close to the prototype of evil / despicable in the original Cinderella tale. But the pumpkin substitute (a food truck), the quiet affirmations to fandom and finding your next pop culture obsession is clearly present, and celebrated. A lovely and fun story that sends up solid confirmations and examples about following your own joy.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Anonymous

More than 1 year ago

Love this concept, one of the best retellings I've read in a while.

Aditi-ATWAMB

More than 1 year ago

“We’re all geeks here.”
Before I start, I should say that I’m a little wary going into fandom novels. I have this irrational fear that the protagonist is only a fangirl or a fanboy as a quirky side story and that it’s not at all given enough importance.
And yet, after about ten minutes of reading Geekerella, I knew I was didn't need to be wary of ANYTHING.
Danielle – Elle – lives with her horrible stepmother (*ahem stepmonster*) and her two equally horrible stepsisters. Her mom died at a young age, and her father in an accident a while later. In a home that used to be hers and her father’s, she feel like an outsider. She’s made to do the chores and the cleaning and she also has a job – she’s a modern day Cinderella, only without a Prince Charming.
Until she gets a call from a strange number, for what used to be her dad’s number for the Convention he used to organise, and a conversation sparks with a boy she’s never met and knows nothing about. A boy she’s also spewing hate about on the Internet for his new role in her favourite show’s reboot.
And her geeky fairy tale is just about to begin.
“All me had was a moment. Just a moment in an impossible universe waltzing that beautiful, impossible waltz.”
I LOVED ALL THE GEEKY AND ADORABLE THINGS ABOUT THIS BOOK.
Told from the dual perspectives of Elle (Cinderella) and Darien (Prince Charming), Geekerella is EVERYTHING a fairy tale retelling with a fangirl twist should be.
Let me list it all out:
1) THERE ARE ALL THE FANDOM REFERENCES AND PUNS AND YOU WILL GET THEM AND IT WILL MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’VE COME HOME
2) Darien is Elle’s Fictional Crush in a reboot of her favourite TV Show, and he is SO perfect and insecure and I LOVE HIM ACK.
3) DID I MENTION THAT DARIEN IS A FANBOY? He was a Prince Charming FANBOY. SAVE ME.
4) Sage (Elle’s best friend/ co-worker) with her Green hair and attitude to match is AWESOME and you will fall in love. (Totally think she deserves her own book)
5) It’s such a Cinderella retelling with the BEST KIND OF TWIST.
The only reason this isn’t a five star read for me is because in the end of the book, Elle and Darien were MAGICALLY IN LOVE WITH EACH OTHER. I understand having feelings/ being deep on the crush end but I DIDN’T GET HOW THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE IN LOVE WITH EACH OTHER.
A hilarious, adorable tribute to fairy tales and fandoms that you NEED TO GET YOUR HANDS ON!

Anonymous

6 months ago

This book was infinitely more enjoyable than I had anticipated. Which is, I suppose, entirely fitting. I was Elle letting my bias sway me before I even got to know the book (or actor). The title and description had me picturing exactly what Elle had feared when the cast of the new Starfield movie was announced: fake geeks flocking to a beloved fandom (for Elle it was Starfield, for me fandom itself).
But I sing quite a different tune now, because I know that I too judged too quickly. You can’t read this book and not understand how deeply in love with fandom Poston is (a vibe equally evident if you visit her lovely website). It turns out I had nothing to fear, because being a geek is something Poston clearly lives and breathes every day, and I could not give a higher compliment. Plus, who am I to pass up a fairy tale adaptation? I’ve got too big a soft spot for them to have chosen to skip this book entirely, and I am grateful for that. Because I would have missed something very special.
https://itsyagirlreviews.wordpress.com/2019/03/15/geekerella/ for full review.

I love fairy tale re-tellings and Geekerella is a re-telling of one of the biggie’s. Ella is an orphan with a horrible stepmother and two stepsisters. They couldn’t be any more different. Ella is a bit of a nerd. She and her now deceased father shared a love for the show Starfield (think Star Trek) and would watch episodes for hours. Her stepmother is a country club snob and her stepsisters CC brats. I had forgotten how hard it was to watch Cinderella get treated so horribly in animation and I’ll just say that set in present time, that difficulty was doubled. Her step-everythings were just awful. Her only avenue of escape was to her job on the Magic Pumpkin food truck with her new friend Sage. There she dreams of going to Excelsicon the sci-fi comic con that her father started in Atlanta, but her step’s would never allow her to go. Scheme ensues.
I, too, am a bit of a geek when it comes to sci-fi, fantasy and comic cons. I grew up going to them and used to be able to walk the walk and talk the talk. This novel did get the Con part right. You do see people dressed in all sorts of fantasy gear. What fell a little short for me was the story between Ella and her Prince Charming, love interest Darien Freeman. Darien sends an accidental text to Ella’s cell, which used to be her fathers. They end up being pen pals (text pals?), never revealing too much about themselves yet telling each other their secrets. Ella never knew it was the famous actor on the other end of the line. Their stories are told from both of their perspectives and truly they both had pretty awful aspects to their lives. You know about Ella’s problems, but Darien’s were just as bad. His manager was his father who just took advantage and belittled him the whole time. Yuck. Really, I just wanted the two of them to be able to run away together and say “the hell with all this!”. This novel for me rode a fine line of child abuse and even when put in a fairy tale like setting it didn’t make it better. Even though there were cute parts, that aspect was just hard for me to overlook.
I know I am older than the average YA reader and most of these novels are not written for my age group. That being said, this novel was more juvenile than the characters ages. Sure, their decision making was pretty accurate. Teenagers make errors in judgement and these two made some big errors, but maybe the story was too simple? I can’t really put my finger on it. Geekerella was well written and at times playful, and I did like the walk down memory lane and maybe it didn’t ring all my bells, but that doesn’t mean it’s not for you!
❤️❤️❤️❣️

Anonymous

More than 1 year ago

Read it in a day and couldnt put it down!

KateUnger

More than 1 year ago

Geekerella is such a wonderful retelling of Cinderella. It’s completely modernized in a way that makes perfect sense, and it’s loaded with geeky delights. I loved every second of this book.
Elle (Danielle) is living with her step-mother and twin step-sisters in Charleston, South Carolina. Her father raised her to be as obsessed with Starfield as he was, and he even started a comic con in Atlanta. Elle is thrilled that her favorite show is getting a movie reboot, but she cannot believe that teen heartthrob Darien Freeman has been cast as her beloved Carmindor. She has a lot to say about him, and she doesn’t hold anything back on her blog. Still Elle is determined to win the cosplay competition at ExcelsiCon because she wants the tickets to L.A. to fulfill her dreams of becoming a screenwriter.
I won’t give anymore away, but suffice it to say this is an excellent hate turned love story. Both Darien and Elle were well developed characters, and I enjoyed being inside both of their heads. Sometimes when reading books with alternating perspectives I find myself rushing to get back to one character, but I didn’t feel like that at all with this book. I was routing for both characters the whole way.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading every page of this book, and I am thrilled that there is going to be a sequel!
http://opinionatedbooklover.com/review-geekerella-ashley-poston/

thebookishlibra

More than 1 year ago

As you can probably surmise from the title, Ashley Poston’s Geekerella is a retelling of the classic Cinderella fairytale. What I loved most about this story is that although it clearly retained lots of awesome shout-outs to the original tale – the evil stepmother and stepsisters, the pumpkin coach, the dance, the slipper, and so much more – it was still a completely unique, fun, and quirky contemporary tale in its own right.
I liked the spin the author put on the Cinderella tale here because not only do we get Cinderella’s side of the story, as we would expect, but Poston also delivers Prince Charming’s side of the story as well. Our Cinderella in this story is a teenager named Elle. Her parents are dead so she is living with her stepmother and stepsisters. Elle is a geek at heart and a diehard fan of the cult classic sci-fi show Starfield. When she learns there is going to be a cosplay contest as part of a promotion for a new Starfield movie, Elle can’t resist entering, especially since the prize is a trip to the fan convention, ExcelsiCon (that her father founded). Our Prince Charming in Geekerella is Darien, a popular actor who has been cast to play the lead in the new Starfield movie. We learn that even though he’s a teen heartthrob and has fangirls practically throwing themselves at his feet, he’s also a super geek and diehard Starfield fan as well. Playing the lead in this film is a dream come true for him.
Even though I’m not a big romance reader, I thought the budding romance in Geekerella was super cute. I thought it was hilarious that Elle absolutely hated Darien’s guts in the beginning and thought he was the worst possible choice to play the lead in the movie. Darien kind of brings this on himself because he has kept his fanboy life a secret, but it’s great fun watching their relationship unfold and develop from that initial misunderstanding.
My absolute favorite part of the book though was the way the author writes about the Starfield fandom. She does such an amazing job that I was practically convinced that there really was such a fandom. And I wanted there to be such a fandom – I wanted to watch the TV show, get dressed up and go to the ExcelsiCon. I thought she just did such a brilliant job capturing the excitement of being a part of a fandom, particularly her descriptions of the cosplaying and going to cons. If you’re looking for a book that will bring out your own inner geek, definitely consider reading Geekerella. It’s one of the cutest and quirkiest retellings I’ve read in a long time.

Disturbia0509

More than 1 year ago

I loved this book SO much!! I wanted to read this based on a bunch of booktubers recommendations. It’s got a lot of elements from Cinderella. The Magic pumpkin might be one of my favorite things! Haha. Okay, not really but it comes close.
I loved the characters so much, besides most of the adults. Oh, how the my heart just hurt for Elle. She’s trying so hard to live this life that she’s not welcome in. Her stepmother and step sisters are awful to her. She’s basically like a modern-day Cinderella. Her escape is the fandom of Starfield and her blog. It’s something that she had in common with her mother and father. One day, she gets a call from an unknown number and things start to get interesting for Elle.
I have to say that my absolute favorite character in this book is Sage. She was so much fun with her don’t care attitude. She does so much for Elle and it made me so happy! It literally brings a smile to my face. I think that her snarky attitude really does help Elle come out of her shell a bit. I devoured this book. It was just so tense at times and I just had to know what would happen. If you know the story of Cinderella, you know what’s coming. It had me so nervous because I knew what to expect. This book is really predictable but that’s because I know the story so well. It didn’t really take too much away from me though.
I really liked the whole Elle and Darien relationship, besides the fact, it turns to love rather quickly. I’m not surprised though, it is YA. I loved getting the two POV’s between Elle and Darien. We get to see how he’s struggling between what people want him to be and who he wants to be. How people judge him based on his actor persona and no one really knows him. You shouldn’t judge someone by their cover. This is something that Elle really learns and I hope the people who read this book do too.
I loved all the “geeky-ness” to this book. It just made it so fun and adorable! I wish so many more people would see how fun it is to be a geek! Who cares if you stand out? Who cares what other people thing, if you are having fun! There is nothing wrong with being a geek, nerd, weird, different or whatever.
This is just a really cute romance and I enjoyed this book immensely!! It’s sweet and adorable
e-ARC provided by Quirk Books/ Random House via Netgalley for an honest review.

CuriousFoxReads

More than 1 year ago

OMGoodness!!! How come more people don't talk about this book?!? I need candles, and bookmarks and Fandom things for it! This book... Guys, this book made my little nerdy heart sing and explode with nerdy fandom love.
Geekerella by Ashley Poston, is a wonderful, geeky Cinderella retelling for the modern geeky age. It is super cute! It had me laughing, crying, giggling and poking my boyfriend to share nerd popculture and Fandom references with him. (It even had a Gilmore Girls reference!) I flew through this book like I haven't done in awhile. If you are a nerd or a geek and love fandoms like Star Trek, Star Wars, Firefly, or a lover of cons (comic anime, Sci-fi, etc) as I am, I highly recommend this book! Hands down 5 stars!

mdemanatee

More than 1 year ago

This book made major waves last year, and I avoided it because I was like “another Cinderella retelling?” But you know what? Today I was in the mood for another Cinderella retelling. And boy. I was charmed. I was delighted. I shed some tears. This was great. If you like Cinderella retelling (especially ones where the “prince” gets development too), if you like fandom, or, heck, if you like food trucks, read this book. You will be charmed. And, like any good book about a fandom, I found myself wanting to be in the fandom in question.
Surely it’s time for another A Cinderella Story reboot, right? I nominate this.

Anonymous

More than 1 year ago

I really enjoyed the story and all the references to "nerd" culture.

TheCaramelFiles

More than 1 year ago

One of my favorite books of 2017, Geekerella is something truly special. The story of Elle, who works in the Magic Pumpkin food truck, Geekerella is my first ever fangirl book - now I love fangirl books! Ashley Poston totally schooled me in the art of fandom, an art I've been curious about and didn't quite understand - I was born in the '80s!
Now, since I know what fangirling really is, I realize that I've been a fangirl all my life, of SO many different things. Because of my own intense fangirling throughout my longish-seeming life, I'm so proud that there are actually books regarding the subject.
Elle's fangirl focus is Starfield, a sci-fi series she adored watching with her now deceased father. From Geekerella, I learned what in the hell cosplay is - I had an idea, but I really did not get it - and I finally got to go, through Elle, to an amazing fandom convention - ExcelsiCon. Ever since I figured out what ComicCon is, I've wanted to attend a nerdy convention!
I love how Poston weaves the classic Cinderella saga into Elle's tale; it's a subtle weave, but it's there. Aside from Elle working in the deliciously described Magic Pumpkin food truck, this book feels like a Cinderella retelling, but is a story all its own. The modernization of Cinderella is so much fun to read in the present.
In comes Darien, Elle's Prince Charming, an actor who will be promoting his part in Elle's top fandom - the Starfield movie. I love that Geekerella is out of this world, as in, could so never happen in real life, but makes me believe at the same time. Anyhow, Darien is an ultimate fanboy, hot or not!
Of course, because it is a Cinderella-based story, a set of stepsisters enjoys making Elle's life miserable. I, personally, love mean girl characters, so Chloe and Calliope almost make the whole book for me. Like I said earlier, I honestly had no clue exactly what cosplay is - now, I know! Even the twins - the stepsisters - get in on it!
With a perfect Cinderella ending, Geekerella is a tale all its own; the tale of a nerdy girlie who finds a connection and busts loose on the world. The tale of a girl lacking everyday charisma, but possessing much charm, Geekerella is a total must-read for fangirls and fairy tale fans alike.

alyssayuri

More than 1 year ago

I was in SDCC last weekend so I had to hold off reading. I finally got to finish reading this wonderful book. It was definitely the perfect read for the perfect occasion of SDCC just ending.
Okay, I'll get right to it. Ever since this came out, I was pretty much very excited because once again there is a nerdy/geeky book that knows how I feel about a fandom. I was just so excited to get my hands on this and what do you know? I won this wonderful book from goodreads!
Like any other retelling, it starts of with Elle's home life. Miserable definitely. But this book is amazing because this isn't about just Elle's story, this is also Darien's story! I know, with a lot of retelling nowadays, I'm pretty sure this is not the first time. And having Darien as a famous actor-heartthrob isn't new either... But I love this retelling! I was so engrossed with Darien's story mostly. The way he fights his battles especially what he's facing were just... wow! But all the feels came from Elle's story though. Elle is a fighter but there's just some things that you cannot fight but find a smarter solution!
I also love that there are an elements in this retelling that was solely the authors. And I am not talking about the fandom (I'm not gonna say due to spoilers). But that is definitely the main element there. She actually made the reader part of the Starfield fandom which I really appreciate because it doesn't exclude us. And I love the idea that the fandom is family because this is very true!
If there is anything I don't like is it can get too fairy tale-y. Also eventually, everything became easy for Elle in the aftermath. The secondary characters were important, but I wished they were more involved or at least more reason behind why they do the things they do.
Nonetheless, the whole general story makes up for it's flaws. And I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book!
So if fairy tales are your love, grab this and welcome to the Starfield fandom!

Take_Me_AwayPH

More than 1 year ago

Any time I see something that is described as a retelling, I instantly add it to my TBR. Retellings are my jam and because of this, I will read any one that comes up. Doesn't stop me from saying that any form of Cinderella I'm wary about tho fo certain reasons. And this one was no better.
"He got fans for his work, for inspiring people to think bigger and better than the Earth and ignite the stars I get fans for my abs."
11%
This modern re-telling of Cinderella starts with Elle who lives with... you got it, her evile stepmother and two stepsisters. She herself is a geek who lives for a show that she watched with her father, Starfield. She enters a cosplay contest that can land her a once in a lifetime opportunity. Then there's teen actor Darien Freeman who plays in the movie. People have said awful things about him, but they don't know the real him. But he only cares that one person does....
"Electrolyte water tastes as bland as my soul feels."
17%
I'll admit.... I love re-tellings, but I don't really care for Cinderella ones. Why? Because as a character driven reader, everyone in the book except for usually three people make me want to punch their lights out. And this one was no different. I hated most of the people in this book for wha they did to her. And it sucked even more because since I knew Cinderella, I knew she wouldn't stand up to it. But I digress. Needless to say, Poston did a fantastic job in creating her cast of characters, because the more I knew them, the more I hated them.
"I could keep my head down and waltz through this whole shoot like the Darien Freeman the world thinks I am, but that's not how my fanboy heart beats."
28%
As far as the re-telling, I LOVED it. She included all the right points and made them so modernized and geeky. There was the "Magic Pumpkin," the rushing home before midnight, and just everything, and I was all there for it. This will definitely be added to my list of favorite re-tellings.
"...my dad said that the impossible is only impossible if you don't even try."
38%
And last but not least, there was Poston's writing style. I know this is a story I've read/ watched over and over again, but she still managed to make it her own. I haven't put off my homeowork for a full day to binge read a book in a long time, but this one made me. I couldn't put it down. I wanted to know how she changed things and what she wanted to keep the same. I couldn't wait to see how she chose to do the ending and it was everything I had hoped for.
"You don't have to always do everything alone, you know."
38%
This is a tried and true story, but the way it's told will make you forget the original story. With an amazing cast of characters so terrible you'll love to hate them, a re-tellings with all the right elements, all paired with an amazing writing style, this is one story you'll want to read again and again. Just like me.

Anonymous

More than 1 year ago

I was very fond of this book. It was one of the best Cinderella Retellings I've ever had the joy of reading

MidnightsReader

More than 1 year ago

Geekerella is a Cinderella retelling that has a split narrative that follows both Elle who is a major fan of a tv show called Star Field and Darien who is the main actor in the movie reboot of Star Field. To me, Star Field was similar to the tv show Star Trek and the movie franchise Star Wars. Even though Star Field reminded me of these other movies and tv shows it differently was very different and unique in its own way. As a huge Star Wars fan, myself I was able to relate to Elle in a way that I never have before with a book character. I found Darien to be kind, sweet, and at times self-douting. It was interesting to see an actor like Darien think that he wasn't going to able to perform his character as well as he wanted. I also really enjoyed that Darien was a major fan of Star Field as well. While I really enjoyed both Elle and Darien's point of view my favorite character was a side character that we meet named Sage. Sage is Elle's coworker who Elle starts to befriend throughout the novel. Sage and Elle's friendship was also very important because it showed how a strong female friendship should be. Sage is also lesbian and we get to see parts of her relationship with an another girl in this book which I really appreciated. I loved the bits of diversity that Ashley Poston added to her story by adding in Sage who is lesbian and Darien who is a person of color. Overall this book has been my favorite of the year so far and I'm so happy I decided to pick it up.

Bayy2455

More than 1 year ago

Originally posted on bayyinwonderland.wordpress.com
Wow. This book was adorable. I love all things geek culture and cons are one of my favorite things to attend. Also cosplay? Yes please.
This was a refreshing take on Cinderella. The reason for Elle's step family treating her the way they did (though not justified) felt real. It's hard for families to merge, sometimes families just can't. Whether one side won't put in the effort, or it just doesn't work. It was nice to see an actual reason for the hatred and mistreatment, instead of just a blind hatred like in the Disney Cinderella.
Darien? Swoonworthy. He had real world problems and seemed like a real person. It was also a nice reminder that actors are people, that they had lives before they were in the spotlight. I loved the split POV of this book and both voices were strong and needed. One didn't seem to carry the weight of the story. It was really cute to watch them react to each other and the switching of POV's was seamless.
This is a must read for anyone who loves fairy tales or being a geek.

Seoling

More than 1 year ago

I have to say that I have not read a more cuter story since…like…P.S. I STILL LOVE YOU by Jenny Han. After coming off the angst trail with Sarah Dessen’s ONCE AND FOR ALL, I was at a loss of what to read now. Kristen picked out GEEKERELLA for me because it seemed like it didn’t have too much angst to it and I agreed. So I embarked on the GEEKERELLA Magic Pumpkin truck and was swept away by a pretty awesome story with memorable characters. I am a fan of modern fairytales and generally, I stray away from Cinderella ones because I was never really a fan of that story despite how classic it was. But this was a really great take on the story. Elle was such a relatable character and she was funny and smart and I admired her so much for her perseverance against all the BS that she had to go through with her step-family
The fandom/convention angle was FREAKING AWESOME. As someone who goes to conventions, I thought it was such a good portrayal of how great the community can be. So more or less, the convention that Elle attends is one that her father founded so she’s pretty much like royalty there. During a mishap, she gets the badges she bought with her own money taken and has to find some way to get new ones and she’s obviously given the highest regarded badge which lets her go WHEREVER she wants. I have to say that I felt a little awestruck by the fact that type of badge because it’s the one every con-goer dreams of having. ALL ACCESS to everything? YES.
The story between Elle and Darien is so sweet and so surprisingly delightful. I was afraid that it was going to be a little too cutesy, but it was just SO GOOD to read about how they meet and what a mix-up things become when they don’t realize who each other is. I kept wondering what would happen next between them because the story is rather unpredictable (despite knowing the fairytale story). Sure, it wasn’t something that was realistic (it’s one of those things that are like 1/1million chances), but it was such a joy to read.
P.S. Darien is such a dork and I love him so dang much.
AND HUGE KUDOS for same-sex relationship that develops! I was really surprised and despite the fact that it was a few fleeting moments between the characters, I felt such a swell of happiness between the two of them that I was just ‘awe'ing every time there was a moment. THIS WAS SO TASTEFULLY DONE and not so much in your face that it seemed like there was agenda to be pushed.
Ugh, I can not sing enough praises about this book. I am so glad that it is a standalone because if there were more, I don’t think it could get any better than this. It was a perfect story to tell and now all must go read it so that they can geek out with the rest of us.

Anonymous

More than 1 year ago

Concept was cute. But, i just didn't really like it. My version had a lot of typos, which was very distracting (i have physical copy, not ebook). She really forced a lot of gay characters, in my opinion. Most of the female characters she introduced were lesbians. It just felt fake and i really had a hard time finishing it. Dont waste your money on this.

ahyperboliclife

More than 1 year ago

I was so hyped for this book. I mean what’s not to love, it has everything I could ever want in a contemporary: it’s a cinderella retelling, it has to do with fandom, and it has the Hollywood/movie making cheesy-ness I love. But it just fell flat to me. The characters were forgettable caricatures and I could never get invested in the story.
Things I Liked :
-The Cover. It was super adorable, and along with the synopsis, was what drew me to the book.
-Sage. She was the most interesting character. She was very unique and had a strong IDGAF personality. She helps Elle come out of her shell a bit, so that was nice. And her romance, was the one romance I bought in the story, even though there was absolutely zero development for it. She was the most successful modernization of the characters in the story.
Things I Didn’t Like :
-Elle. I didn’t really like Elle at all. She had a #TrueFan complex that made her really unlikeable to me. I felt she was really judgmental and naive. I wanted to connect with Elle but she was really unremarkable, and I even forgot her name a few times when reading. Her name is Elle, it’s a Cinderella retelling and my name is Danielle, it shouldn’t have been that hard to remember it.
-Characters. I understand this is a retelling, and the characters have to fit a certain mold in the story: the evil stepmom, the evil stepsister, prince charming, but every character (apart from Sage) felt one dimensional. They were only the stereotypes and hyperbolized caricatures of the role they were supposed to be, not modernized reimaginings. I wanted a little more creativity and depth to the characters, and I feel like that would have made me care about the story more.
-The House Plot. I didn’t understand to whole selling the house subplot. Evil Stepmonster Catherine tells Elle that she’s selling their house (and it’s already on the market), even though the house is in Elle’s name. I just didn’t understand how Catherine would be able to make those decisions, when she doesn’t have the rights to the house.
-Unrealistic. Yes, this is a retelling of a fairytale, but I found some parts to be really unbelieveable, even in this context.
-References. There were a BUNCH of references in this books: from Ryan Reynolds and Taylor Swift to Lord of the Rings and Star Trek. They pulled me right out of the story. I didn’t expect all of these real world references alongside this created show/fandom. It made Starfield and the Stargunner fandom seem fake.
I REALLY wanted to like this, but it’s going to be a miss. Maybe my expectations were too high, but the characters were too flat for me to ever get into the story. I hope everyone else will enjoy this and have a fun time. If you did like this, or want another Cinderella retelling about fandom and blogging check out Cinder & Ella by Kelly Oram.

KatieAtTheBookSphere

More than 1 year ago

This is truly a book for fandoms and those that love to be a part of a fandom...
When I heard about Geekerella, I was stoked. A re-telling of Cinderella centered around a con that is about a sci-fi show!? Yes, Please! There has been so much good hype around this book. So many people are loving it, and I see why. I didn’t love it as much as others, but that could have been partly because I’m cursed as a mood reader.
This is a huge character driven story. And I really enjoyed reading about the characters. Ella is a fairly classic Cinderella character; working hard and overrun by her stepmother and stepsisters. But she also had this element of confidence about her that she knew she could do better even if she didn’t believe it all the time. A trait that’s really relatable to just about everyone. I really enjoyed Ella as a main character. There’s another character we follow through alternating view points, and that’s Darien. I wasn’t sure about Darien at first, but as I got to know him, he grew on me. This is an aspect that’s meant to happen, I don’t think you’re supposed to like what you first hear about Darien. What you see is often not what’s actually there. I loved that there were some side character story lines as well. Although they were small and sometimes I was wishing they would have been developed more, I was still happy to see the tidbits that we did get to see. It’s always great to see a diverse group of characters, I loved seeing that here.
I liked the overall story; especially the plot. It was cool to see the story played out the way that it did and the way that the con and the sci-fi show, Starfield. I love the quotes that came from Starfield - “Look to the stars. Aim. Ignite”. I loved the nick-names that came from the show. It was so well done and put together that I was wishing the show was real and I could watch it.
I also loved the bits of references of fandoms throughout the book. There are a ton referenced, I’m sure there’s plenty that I didn't catch. One of my favorites was this moment when Sage comes to pick up Ella and she says, “Get in loser we’re going…” A tribute to Mean Girls, and a quote that made me laugh out loud, literally, as it was placed perfectly. This is truly a book for fandoms and those that love to be a part of a fandom.
The small qualms I had with the book were mostly in the telling of the story. I felt that the story was a little bit long. It felt like it was dragging along at points. There were parts that felt there was so much detail in what the characters were doing that I found myself falling out of the story. I also felt there were points that we were being told what characters are instead of being shown.

SunshineRising2

More than 1 year ago

I loved pretty much everything about this one.
From the updated fairy tale to the fangirl/boyness, from the mixed up phone number to the Con; this was pretty much everything you would want in a YA with heart. The story was entertaining and featured a relatable character in Elle and a sympathetic character in Darien.
I also liked that Ms. Posten added in Sage forming a relationship with Cal.
There was a very nice spanning of race and orientations here that I think should be featured more in YA overall. Bravo.
The only drawbacks as far as I was concerned were the maybe too much referencing of stars/universes/galaxies…it got a little overkill there. BUT beyond that? Can’t complain.
I was a bit jumping the gun on the nosebleed part, realizing a mere two pages later that Darien was corrected in his tilt back wrongness…but I digress.
I highly recommend this one for pretty much anyone. Those who love romance, YA, fairy tale re-tellings, and especially the fangirls and boys out there. The characters really do speak to something that is inside those of us regardless of the particular fandom: (to quote from the book) “We might all be different we may ship different fandoms…when we become those characters, pieces of ourselves light up like glow sticks in the night. They shine. We shine. Together.”
Look to the stars. Aim. Ignite.
Read other reviews here:
http://www.sunshinerising.net

Kel

More than 1 year ago

Disclaimer: I received a copy from the publisher for review.
Geekerella is readily recognizable as both a Cinderella retelling and a paradise for nerd references. The geek in me loved being in on the secret code and reading about characters who love genres I do.
One of the best parts of this retelling is that Prince Charming isn't perfect, in perception or reality, and Darien Freeman really shines as a protagonist in his own right. He's a young actor struggling to prove himself as a professional without losing the real him in the process. Add in a manipulative father, a jealous co-star, a stalker and a blogger out for blood, and he has plenty of conflict and character development.
Unfortunately, the weakest part of the book is Elle. She embodies the usual Cinderella complaints--too passive, lacks agency, won't stand up for herself, etc. Elle doesn't have much to lose, but she lets her stepfamily walk all over her and it doesn't make sense. It makes the "fairy godmother" best friend necessary, but it sometimes makes Elle look like a whiny wuss. That said, Elle's failings aren't overwhelming since half the book is from Darien's POV, and I think readers will still like the romance.
Picky points: there are more than a few typos/mistypes in the finished copy. I hope they're corrected if Geekerella gets a second printing. Also, this probably makes me a bigger nerd, but as a law school student I was curious about the dad's will regarding the house. I have questions.
Overall, I enjoyed Geekerella and highly recommend it to fans of fairy tale retellings and fellow nerds looking for books that speaks geek.

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